Dan Wheldon, who won this year’s Indy 500, died today from injuries he received when his car went sailing through the air during a horrific 15-car crash earlier today at the Las Vegas Indy 300 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Wheldon was 33. He was making his 134th career start and the third of the season after he won the Indianapolis 500 winner earlier this year.

”IndyCar is very sad to announce that Dan Wheldon has passed away from unsurvivable injuries,” IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard said in a statement to the media at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. ”Our thoughts and prayers are with his family today. IndyCar, its drivers and owners, have decided to end the race.”

In honor of Wheldon, the drivers took part in a five-lap salute around the oval.

Wheldon’s death marks the first IndyCar Series fatality since Paul Dana was killed at Homestead in 2006 during a morning warmup session.

Bryan Herta Autosport driver Dan Wheldon talks with the crowd about winning the Indy 500 as Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage looks on during the Indy 500 Champion's luncheon at Frankie's Sports Bar & Grill on May 31, 2011 in Fort Worth, Texas. Wheldon was killed today at Las Vegas Motor Speedway from injuries that he received in a crash during the Las Vegas 500. Courtesy photo by Brandon Wade/Getty Images for TMS.

Today at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Wheldon started in the back of the field but quickly worked his way through the 34-car field before the wreck. Wheldon was aiming to win a $5 million bonus offered by to him by IndyCar Series officials after he won the Indy 500 earlier this season. If Wheldon would have won today’s race, he would have split the money with a lucky fan.

Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage released a statement about Wheldon’s death late Sunday afternoon.

“On behalf of the entire staff at Texas Motor Speedway, our sincere condolences go out to Dan’s wife Susie and their two young boys, Oliver and Sebastian. Dan was a tremendous race-car driver and even more tremendous as a person. I was fortunate to get to know Dan over the years with the series annually visiting Texas Motor Speedway and he always arrived with that infectious personality and charming wit. His outstanding skill in the cockpit and his personality and good nature out of it will be greatly missed by the entire IndyCar community.”